Chapter Thirteen: Street Processions (Juloos)

Year long processions using the shirt and beard of Uthman

The Sunni Imam Ibn Qutayba in Al-Imama wa Siyasa, vol 1, page 42 states:

“Naila (wife of Uthman), took the hairs of beard of Uthman, which were pulled out by Muhammad bin Abi Bakr. And she put these hairs in shirt of Uthman and ordered Naumaan Ibn Bashir to take them to Mu’awiya in Damascus”.

In the same book, page 78, it is also written:

“One of Muawiya’s ambassadors told him: I have left 50,000 old people in such a state that they have made their beards wet with tears, while they are weeping after looking at the shirt of Uthman. And this shirt has been raised by them on the spears.”

And in authentic Sunni book Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, Volume 7 page 255, it is written:

فوضعه معاوية على المنبر ليراه الناس، وعلق الاصابع في كم القميص، وندب الناس إلى الاخذ بهذا الثأر والدم وصاحبه، فتباكى الناس حول المنبر، وجعل القميص يرفع تارة ويوضع تارة، والناس يتباكون حوله

“Mu’awyia kept the shirt on the pulpit to let the people watch it and he attached the fingers to the shirt, the people started weeping around the pulpit and calling for revenge. Afterwards, it used to be placed and then removed for sometime from there. For a whole complete year people wept upon that shirt in this way.”

Similarly we read in al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, Volume 2 page 58::

وكان أهل الشام لما قدم عليهم النعمان بن بشير بقميص عثمان الذي قتل فيه مخضوباً بالدم بأصابع زوجته نائلة إصبعان منها وشيء من الكف وإصبعان مقطوعتان من أصولهما ونصف الإبهام، وضع معاوية القميص على المنبر وجمع الأجناد إليه فبكوا على القميص مدة وهو على المنبر والأصابع معلقة فيه،

“Numan bin Basheer went to the people of Syria holding Uthman’s bloodied shirt in which he was killed and the severed fingers of his wife along with some part of palm. Mu’awiya placed the shirt on the pulpit and the soldiers were surrounding it and were weeping over the shirt for a while, the shirt was on the pulpit and the fingers were hanging from it.”

These references make it beyond doubt that beard of Uthman was pulled with such force by son of Abu Bakr that it came in his hand. These hairs and Uthman’s bloodied shirt were sent to Mu’awiyah in Damascus, who did a lot of ‘Azadari over them. Sometimes they were kept on the Mosque pulpit, and at others they were raised on the spears and shown to the shell shocked Syrians. Processions wherein the shirt and hairs were paraded went on for an entire year. These Nawasib say that sitting in sorrow is restricted to one’s wife, and even then it is restricted to the period of Iddah i.e. ONLY 4 months and 10 days. If this is the case then why did the son of Hinda and his sidekicks mourn Uthman for a complete year? Were they all wives of Uthman?

Let us not forget the comments of the learned advocate of Muawiya

Ibn al Hashimi who insists:

Additionally, comemmorating Ashura with any special ritual would be adding to the faith of Islam, and this is Bidah. Bidah is considered part of Hell-Fire, and whoever invents a Bidah is promised Hell-Fire as well.

Were these public processions under the auspices of Muawiya wherein the Damascenes were invited to mourn under Uthman’s bloodied shirts and his wives fingers not acts of Bidah? Is Ibn al Hashimi prepare to deem Muawiya and all those participants innovators that shall burn in Hell?

It’s very sad that these so called Muslims show sorrow for the killing of this 70 years Bani Umayyah tribesman but when it comes to mourning the family of the Prophet (s), who were slaughtered in state of thirst in Karbala, they become machines of issuing all manner of Kufr Fatwas against such acts.

Violent protests following the death of a Sunni scholar

The typical objection that the Shia community face every Muhurrum from those opposed to mourning for Imam Hussain (as) is that by partaking in mourning rituals, wherein people take to the streets, reciting eulogies is unacceptable and should be brought to an end as it interrupts daily life, causes shops to shut down etc. Whilst we don't seek to paralyse society, we also don't seek to force others to mourn with us, nor do we seek to partake in any forms of anti-social behaviour or public disorder that will negatively impact on people’s lives. 

In stark comparison to our approach, allow us to evidence how the Ahul Sunnah of the past reacted when "one of their own" breathed his last. 

Imam Dhia' ul-Dīn 'Abd al-Malik ibn Yūsuf al-Juwaynī al-Shafi'ī was a Persian Sunni Shafi'i jurist known as "Al-Juwayni"; and was also commonly referred to as Imam al Haramayn, ("Imam the two holy sites"). Shams ad-Dīn adh-Dhahabī records the following details relating to the aftermath of his death:

فدفن بجنب والده، وكسروا منبره، *وغلقت الأسواق،* ورثي بقصائد، و *كان له نحو من أربع مائه تلميذ،* كسروا محابرهم وأقلامهم، وأقاموا حولا، ووضعت المناديل عن الرؤوس عاما، بحيث ما اجترأ أحد علي ستر رأسه، وكانت الطلبه يطوفون في البلد نائحين عليه، مبالغين في الصياح والجزع

"When he died he was laid to rest alongside his father's graveside. Grief was vented by his pulpit being destroyed, marketplaces were forcibly shut down. Eulogies were recited in his honor. His grief-stricken students smashed up books and writing materials. The people mourned on the roads and marketplaces for an entire year"

(Siyar a`lam al-nubala Volume 18 page 476)

We appeal to justice, observe how people descend into such extreme reactions when those they love die, yet are unmoved when it comes to mourning the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (as), worse they vocally oppose it, insisting it disturbs people!

Shia curse Yazeed in their processions that causes angst amongst some Sunnis

This is an objection that has become all the more popular of late thanks to modern day Nawasib rekindling their love for the Ummayads.  We will respond by pointing out to such people that the public cursing of tyrants is pursuant to the Sunnah of Rasulullah (s)

Imam of Ahlul Sunnah Muhammad Ismail Bukhari records two interesting narrations:

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حَكِيمٍ الأَوْدِيُّ، قَالَ‏:‏ حَدَّثَنَا شَرِيكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي عُمَرَ، عَنْ أَبِي جُحَيْفَةَ قَالَ‏:‏ شَكَا رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم جَارَهُ، فَقَالَ‏:‏ احْمِلْ مَتَاعَكَ فَضَعْهُ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ، فَمَنْ مَرَّ بِهِ يَلْعَنُهُ، فَجَعَلَ كُلُّ مَنْ مَرَّ بِهِ يَلْعَنُهُ، فَجَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ‏:‏ مَا لَقِيتُ مِنَ النَّاسِ‏؟‏ فَقَالَ‏:‏ إِنَّ لَعْنَةَ اللهِ فَوْقَ لَعْنَتِهِمْ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلَّذِي شَكَا‏:‏ كُفِيتَ أَوْ نَحْوَهُ‏.‏

"Abu Juhayfa said, "A man complained to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about his neighbour. The Prophet said, 'Take your bags and put them in the road and whoever passes them will curse him.' Everyone who passed him began to curse that neighbour. Then he went to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, 'How many people I met!' He said, 'The curse of Allah is on top of their curse!' Then he told the one who had complained, 'You have enough,' or words to that effect."

Grade: Grade: Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani)

(Al-Adab Al-Mufrad Book 6, Hadith 125)

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ، قَالَ‏:‏ حَدَّثَنَا صَفْوَانُ بْنُ عِيسَى، قَالَ‏:‏ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَجْلاَنَ، قَالَ‏:‏ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ‏:‏ قَالَ رَجُلٌ‏:‏ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، إِنَّ لِي جَارًا يُؤْذِينِي، فَقَالَ‏:‏ انْطَلِقْ فَأَخْرِجْ مَتَاعَكَ إِلَى الطَّرِيقِ، فَانْطَلَقَ فَأَخْرِجَ مَتَاعَهُ، فَاجْتَمَعَ النَّاسُ عَلَيْهِ، فَقَالُوا‏:‏ مَا شَأْنُكَ‏؟‏ قَالَ‏:‏ لِي جَارٌ يُؤْذِينِي، فَذَكَرْتُ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَقَالَ‏:‏ انْطَلِقْ فَأَخْرِجْ مَتَاعَكَ إِلَى الطَّرِيقِ، فَجَعَلُوا يَقُولُونَ‏:‏ اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنْهُ، اللَّهُمَّ أَخْزِهِ‏.‏ فَبَلَغَهُ، فَأَتَاهُ فَقَالَ‏:‏ ارْجِعْ إِلَى مَنْزِلِكَ، فَوَاللَّهِ لاَ أُؤْذِيكَ‏.‏

"Abu Hurayra said, "A man said, 'Messenger of Allah, I have a neighbour who does me harm.' He said, 'Go and take your things out into the road.' He took his things out into the road. People gathered around him and asked, 'What's the matter?' He replied, 'A neigh-bour of mine injures me and I mentioned it to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He told me, "Take your things out into the road."' They began to say, 'O Allah, curse him! O Allah, disgrace him!' When the man heard that, he came out to him and said, 'Go back to your home. By Allah, I will not harm you"

Grade: Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) حسن صحيح (الألباني)حكم :

(Source Adab Al-Mufrad Book 6, Hadith 124)

Observation

What is clear is that one Sahabi complained about the conduct of another Sahabi, Rasulullah (s) directed that the unjust Sahabi be publicly exposed about his conduct be-fore the people, so that they are outraged and they openly curse him for his unjust con-duct. From this incident it is clear that cursing the oppressor in support of the oppressed is the essence of Islam and this practice is also the Sunnah of Rasulullah (s) and the Sahaba. This is a hadith in which the status of the complainant is not discussed nor that of the oppressor despite their being neighbours. We also don't know what faith (or lack of faith) the neighbours ascribed to. We also can't pinpoint the era in which this incident occurred

With this in mind when the Shia take out mourning processions displaying imagery as a reminder of what befell the oppressed Imam Hussain (as) such as his bloodied coffin or the cradle of his infant son, it acts as a way to invite non Shias to ask us what happened that thus enables us to retell the events of Karbala and curse Yazid and those who aid-ed and abetted the slaughter of Imam Hussain (as). Just like the Hadith wherein Rasulullah (s) sought to publicity humiliate and condemn an oppressor we seek to ex-pose the supporters of Yazeed to reassess their loyalty with the Umayyads and disas-sociate themselves from Yazeed and his acolytes by publicly reviling him. There is noth-ing unreasonable with that, afterall no sane individual wants to be associated with a ty-rant that partakes in oppression. Verily the public exposure and cursing of tyrants like Yazeed (la) is pursuant to the Sunnah of Rasulullah (s) as adhered to by the Sahaba.

 

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